Wlodkowski (1997) on Designing Workshops with Motivation in Mind

Wlodkowski, R. J. (1997). Motivation with a mission: Understanding motivation and culture in workshop design. In J. A. Fleming (Ed.), New perspectives on designing and implementing effective workshops (New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, vol 49) (pp. 19-31). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Type of Work
Book chapter
Audience
Workshop providers/designers
Purpose / Topic

• Motivating workshop participants
• Using the Motivational Framework for Culturally Responsive Teaching to guide workshop planning

My Notes

• This work assumes the value of Wlodkowski & Ginsburg’s Framework. I would have liked more information about its development as well as more information about the theoretical constructs that contribute to motivation of students. That, however, was not really the purpose of this chapter.
•  The “equation” I used to sum up how the various concepts interact (Cultural socialization --> emotions --> motivation --> engagement --> learning) is quite helpful, but I suspect there is more that could be added that was not discussed in this piece.
• Great quotes and definitions!
  

Key Points

1. Motivation is inseparably linked to culture
2. Cultural socialization --> emotions --> motivation --> engagement --> learning
3. Types of motivation
1. Intrinsic
1. Builds on natural curiosity, need to find meaning in experience, desire to be active, be good at things we care about
2. Comes from within
3. NEEDS TO BE THE BASIS OF EDUCATION
2. Extrinsic
1. = external rewards (e.g., grades, money, status)
2. Is not concerned with learners’ interests, etc.
3. Lowers intrinsic motivation with continual use over time
4. Some students who are able overcome/ignore extrinsic motivators will do OK, but those who cannot (those whose socialization does not make it possible to overcome extrinsic motivators) will not
1. Often those who fall into this trap are marginalized
4. Motivational Framework for Culturally Responsive Teaching
1. “is respectful of different cultures and is capable of creating a common culture within a learning situation that all learners can accept” (p. 21)
2. 4 conditions/questions
1. Establishing inclusion
1. Mutual respect
2. Learners and teachers feel interconnected
3. Potential strategies:
1. Multidimensional sharing
2. Collaborative learning
2. Developing attitude
1. Goal=positive outlook on learning
2. Requires
1. Personal relevance
2. Choice
3. Potential Strategies
1. “make the learning activity an irresistible invitation to learn” (p. 25)
2. Provide models of learning
3. Enhancing meaning
1. Requires “challenging, thoughtful learning experiences” (p. 21)
2. Involves learners’ views and values
3. Potential Strategies
1. Pose a problem
2. Do a simulation
4. Engendering competence
1. “creating an understanding that learners are effective in learning something they value” (p. 21)
2. Usually involves assessment of some type
3. Potential Strategies
1. Performance assessment
1. Tied to learning objectives
2. Feedback
1. “Feedback enhances participants’ motivation because they are better able to evaluate their progress, locate their performance within a framework of understanding, correct their errors efficiently, and maintain their efforts toward realistic goals” (p. 28).
2. Best if
1. Informational, NOT controlling
2. Emphasizes where learner is improving
3. NOT tied to teacher’s approval
4. Specific
5. Realistic
6. Prompt
7. Positive
5. To plan a workshop
1. Determine objectives
2. Understand participants in terms of knowledge, skills, viewpoints, concerns, etc.
3. Choose strategies that meet/answer all four of the above needs/questions

My Questions

• How does one find jobs leading workshops? Must one be a private contractor/entrepreneur?

Terms & Definitions

• Motivational strategy: “deliberate teacher action or instructional process that is likely to enhance the participant’s motivation to learn” (p. 23, citing Wlodkowski, 1985).
• Problem: “any situation in which a learner wants to achieve a goal for which an obstacle exists” (p. 27).
• Simulations: “learning procedures that include role playing, exercises, and games that allow participants to practice and apply their learning in ungenuine yet sufficiently realistic contexts”(p. 27).
• Competence: “evidence that one is effective at what one values” (p. 27)
• Authentic assessment: assessment that “is connected to the learners’ life circumstances, frames of reference, and values” (p. 27).
• Effectiveness: “the learners’ awareness of how well they know or can apply what they’ve learned” (p. 27)
• Feedback: “information that learners receive about the quality of their work” (p. 28)

Quotes

• “when adults do not feel a need to learn, an otherwise effective workshop has the possibility of ranging from a palpable challenge to an embarrassing fiasco” (p. 19)
• “Teaching that ignores or trivializes learners’ norms of behavior and communication provokes resistance” (p. 20).
• “As soon as participants know the objectives and procedures of a workshop, they begin to form a personal theory about the choices and competencies necessary for accomplishing those tasks. Clearly defined objectives can heighten participants’ conscious awareness of personal control and competence. Confusion is less likely, and the learners can more clearly understand and discuss what is expected of them” (p. 22).
• “Although human motivation is not tidy, one can plan ways to evoke it throughout a learning sequence. … we do not ‘motivate’ participants but create with them opportunities, experiences, and environments more likely to elicit their intrinsic motivation.” (p. 23)
• “it is wise at the beginning of a new workshop, even if the group is very cohesive, to provide the opportunity to feel their mutual respect” (p. 25).
• “the more that participants are aware of effectively learning something, the more likely they will use what they have learned” (p. 28).
• “In general, feedback is probably the most powerful process that teachers can regularly use to affect learners’ competence” (p. 28).